Two buddies and I just got back from another trip to the Smoky Mountains. Great riding everywhere! We especially enjoyed Moonshiner 28 and the Cherohala Skyway. We rode the Dragon a couple times too, mostly for the benefit of our newest rider who hadn't been there. We stayed one night in the Tapoco Lodge, which was great, although it is completely "off the grid". There is no mobile service and wifi only if you pay for it.

Here is me on the Moonshiner, a beautiful road, with pleasant sweeping turns. Much of it runs along the Fontana River:



An overlook on the Moonshiner with a view of Fontana Lake:



A view of the Smoky Mountains from the Cherohala Skyway in TN:



Bald River Falls, about 6 miles off the Cherohala at the TN end, almost to Tellico Plains (for perspective, that's an adult man in a blue shirt standing at the top left):




On the way back we rode the Back of the Dragon between Marion, VA and Tazewell, VA. It was a much more technically challenging road, and 3 times longer, than the Dragon in Deals Gap. If you're ever up that way, I commend it to you. There were few places to pull over and none that allowed photos of the more challenging stretches or the better vistas. This was the only place we found to stop as the road descended into one of the valleys between the three mountain ridges it zigzagged up.

 

Beautiful countryside. I go there at least twice each year.

 

Nice man, tnx for the pic's, can't wait to get back down that way,

 

Back of the Dragon is on my list. I've done the Smokys many times and ready for a change of scenery.

 

Very nice. Need to do that ride when I retire in 19 months.

 

TKDKurt, Great pictures, I have been fortunate to ride all those roads and many others in NC, TN, GA and southwest VA mountains. We discovered the back of the dragon (16) a few years ago and agree it is a good road to ride, also. I don't see it being a "more technically challenging" road than the "dragon", however I respect your opinion. There are a multitude of good roads to ride in the above mentioned mountains.

 

You must live somewhere in the SE. You ride the same roads I do.

 

Nice! Thanks for the trip report and pics!

 

I live in east TN & never tire of riding the Skyway .
We enjoy stopping at Bald River Falls & watch people
ride kayaks off the falls . They got more nerve than me .

 

I'll be revisiting in July.